This invention relates to a process for manufacturing a relatively inexpensive ferritic stainless steel sheet having good formability, surface appearance and corrosion resistance.
Stainless steel sheets have been widely used for making outer and inner panels, ornamental articles and so on in a variety of industrial fields, since the stainless steel sheets have good corrosion resistance as well as good surface appearance. Examples of these articles include outer panels of electrical appliances, kitchen utensils, building materials such as doors, knobs and wall panels, inner panels of an elevator box, transportation and automobile materials including road mirrors, automobile and train outer panels, and automotive window trims and mouldings.
A stainless steel sheet for use in such applications as listed above essentially has to possess at least the following four properties:
(1) good formability, PA1 (2) good surface appearance, PA1 (3) improved corrosion resistance, and PA1 (4) inexpensiveness. PA1 C: not greater than 0.02% PA1 Si: not greater than 1.0% PA1 Mn: not greater than 1.0% PA1 P: not greater than 0.04% PA1 S: not greater than 0.02% PA1 Cr: 12.00-25.00% PA1 Cu: 0.1-2.0% PA1 Nb: 0.2-2.0% PA1 C: not greater than 0.02% PA1 Si: 0.01-1.0% PA1 Mn: 0.01-1.0% PA1 P: not greater than 0.04% PA1 S: not greater than 0.005% PA1 N: not greater than 0.02% PA1 Cr: 15-25% PA1 Cu: 0.3-1.0% PA1 Nb: 0.3-0.8%